How do you guys/gals rack in 9 ball?

billiards_watch

billiards_watch

Well-known member
I normally rack the 1 on the spot with a triangle rack and my practice partner and I smash the rack so balls are spread out through the entire table. Recently I have been playing these two older gentleman, great pool players btw, they use racking templates and the 1 is on the spot too. They will soft break to get the wing balls in the corner but most of the balls tend to be on the upper half of the table. It doesn't spread.

How do you guys rack the game of 9 ball?
 
I use a wooden triangle at home with the one on the spot,9 in the center and the 2 at the back. I break from the RH side of the original break box. The one comes up to the LH pocket and the 2 to the RH pocket. Depending on the speed a wing ball or sometimes a 2nd ball drops with the CB somewhere in the middle of the table
 
10 ball: 1, 4-5, 9-10-8, 6-2-3-7 for yourself
9 ball: 1, 6-2, 5-9-3, 8-7, 4 for your opponent breaking from 6-side. I forget the optimal for yourself, I think it is something like 1, 7-8, 4-9-5, 2-3, 6
 
nataddrho said:
10 ball: 1, 4-5, 9-10-8, 6-2-3-7 for yourself
9 ball: 1, 6-2, 5-9-3, 8-7, 4 for your opponent breaking from 6-side. I forget the optimal for yourself, I think it is something like 1, 7-8, 4-9-5, 2-3, 6
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Pattern racking is not allowed in general rules and regulations. Although it seems there are a lot of tournaments where pattern racking is allowed.

To the original poster, usually a three-point rule is applied to hinder soft breaking.
 
There are only two legal ways to Rack 9 ball, the one on the spot or the nine in the spot, which is a new thing. As far as what rack to use, whatever one is available in the pool hall at the time. For most people the preference would be a template rack to make sure that everything is tight.
 
Usually 1 on the spot, template if available. When I play the ghost, 9 on the spot & template if I can't get a tight rack (so basically template rack 90% of the time.)
 
Usually 1 on the spot, 9 in the middle and I don't worry about the rest but I do not play a lot of 9 ball. If you are playing a 9 ball ring game with payouts on the 5 and 9, usually the 5 ball is racked in the left or right position behind the 1 ball.
 
Use a template (my hall has North Demon ones - think they are the same as the ones ORG produce for Zen Cues).

9-ball - 1 up top and 9 in the middle (ofc) - random, but I place 2 and 3 behind the 9. Pulling the CB back into the stack gives me a shot on the 2 more often than not. This is for MR format, haven't played WPA format since the China Open. If I did, it's 1-9-2, and I like to get rid of the 3, so tend to stick that on the wing (point rule means I'm hammering it). MR format, somewhere around 80% power and hope nothing clings together or finds a rail.

10-ball - 1 up top and 10 in the middle (ofc) - 2 and 3 in the bottom corners. I usually place 8 and 9 behind the one. First break I am giving it 100% and adjusting speed according to how it ends up.

8-ball - I always get told off for racking 'incorrectly' - being in China, they usually set them up the same as Chinese-8 ball. I set them up the way that has two spots and a stripe as first three balls. Then make 'the tick' shape. I beat the ever living shit out of it from a second ball line usually.
 
billiards_watch said:
I normally rack the 1 on the spot with a triangle rack and my practice partner and I smash the rack so balls are spread out through the entire table. Recently I have been playing these two older gentleman, great pool players btw, they use racking templates and the 1 is on the spot too. They will soft break to get the wing balls in the corner but most of the balls tend to be on the upper half of the table. It doesn't spread.

How do you guys rack the game of 9 ball?
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Pro tournaments have completely rejected that kind of racking because of the guaranteed wing ball. Where I play, the racks aren't very tight so we put the 1 on the spot, usually. Even with a template, the racks seem to be inconsistent.
 
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